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Siddhartha
In Siddhartha, a novel by Herma Hesse, the reader follows the protagonist, Siddhartha, on his lifelong journey to enlightenment. Siddhartha begins his journey at his father's house, a Brahmin. At the time, Siddhartha was a Brahmin as well. He had a best friend, named Govinda, and Govinda often followed Siddhartha, because Govinda trusted him. One day, after meditating they see a group of Samanas, a group of people focused on self-deprivationand. Siddhartha decides he wants to become a Samana, along with Govinda, but he needs permission from his father. His father dissaproved, but Siddhartha stood up to him, and his father realized that he had to let his son go. He stayed with the Samanas for three years, and realized that it was not the way to reach enlightenment. He revealed this to Govinda when, Hesse writes, "'He is sixty years old and has not attained Nirvana. He will be seventy and eighty years old, and you and I, we shall grow as old as he, and do exercices and fast and meditate, but we will not attain Nirvana, neither he nor we'" (18). Siddhartha realizes things like fasting, and meditating, are only temporary ways to lose the Self, being a part of the physical world. After leaving the Samanas, Siddhartha and Govinda go into a nearby town and see Gotama Buddha, a man who claims to have achieved nirvana. After listening to him, Govinda is convinced that the way to achieve Nirvana is to follow him. This is where Siddhartha and Govinda part ways, because Siddhartha knows that wisdom cannot be obtained from listening. After leaving Govinda, Siddhartha makes his way to a river, where people can be taken across by a ferryman named Vasudeva. Siddhartha is taken across the river by the ferryman to a place where everything is the small self, worldy desires and pleasures. Siddhartha makes his way to Kamala, a teacher of love, a modern day prostitute, but she sends him away because Siddhartha appears very unkempt. He gets a job from a man named Kamaswami, and cleans up. He then learns the art of love from Kamala. After many years he realizes that he has to return to the river, but before he does he has a dream about Kamala's songbird leaving its cage and dying. This affirms Siddhartha's decision to leave to the river. After leaving Kamala, she realizes that she is pregnant and has a son, his name is never revealed. He returns to the river, and tries to kill himself by drowning, but as he is walking into the water he hears the word "Om", and realizes that he has to learn to the river. He returns to the ferryman, and spends the remainder of his life with him, learning from the river. After many years, Kamala shows up at the river with a son, but she gets bitten by a snake and dies. Siddhartha now has to exp erience beign a father. At Kamala's funeral the son runs away, but Siddhartha lets him go, he realizes that his son cannot live a life like Siddhartha's because he began his journey with worldly desires and pleasures. Many more years later, Govinda shows up at the river and he and Siddhartha talk. During this talk Siddhartha says, "'This...is a stone, and within a certain length of time it will perhaps be soil and from the soil it will become a plant, animal or man...This stone is a stone; it is also animal, God and Buddha'" (145). Govinda then kisses Siddhartha on the forhead and, "no longer saw the face of his friend SIddhartha. Instead he saw other faces, many faces, a long series, a continuous stream of faces-hundreds, thousands, which all came and disappeared and yet all seemed to be there at the same time, which all continually changed and renewed themselves and which were yet all Si ddhartha" (150). Siddhartha has reached enlightenment, and because Govinda kissed Siddhartha's Chakra, it is shared with Govinda. Independence At one point or another every teenager becomes independent. Most of the time, a teenager becomes independent after they are given freedom. Teenagers, over time, learn how to do things by themselves, so eventually they can live completely on their own, without their parents. Siddhartha gains his independence when he leaves his father. Siddhartha has always been respectful, especially to his parents, but he has to stand up to his father if he wants to go with the Samanas. He stands up to his father by standing still with his arms crossed until his father allows him to leave. Siddhartha cannot blatantly disobey his father, but he knows his father will not let him die. Hesse reveals how Siddhartha stands up to his father when he writes, "'Siddhartha...why are you waiting?' 'You know why.' 'Will you go on standing and waiting until it is day, noon, evening?' 'I will stand and wait.' 'You will grow tired, Siddhartha.' 'I will grow tired.' 'You will fall asleep, Siddhartha.' 'I will not fall asleep.' 'You will die, Siddhartha.' 'I will die.'" (11). Siddhartha's father will not let him die, so he lets him go, thus giving Siddhartha his Independence.